Bali, Indonesia: Seeing Green, Building Green

The Indonesian island of Bali, slowly but surely, had begun replacing its arcane buildings of concrete and steel with bamboo. In the country’s transformation, factories, businesses, and homes are all being revitalized by the firm and rigid qualities of the “grass”. The amazing part about it is that it is quicker to grow, and does not destroy the land that it sits on in comparison to timber. As a result, these qualities, in addition to the well-known fact of its industrial strength, has allowed for the burgeoning of construction utilizing the sustainable resource. The flexible yet rigid nature of the plant allows for a surprising amount of flexibility in designing structures and buildings. For example, here is a picture of a three storied school building built in Bali in 2008.

                  Even after the bamboo is cut, it will continue to produce shoots at a rapid pace. Timber on the other hand requires continual replanting, and waiting for the wood to grow to the proper size and dimensions for it to be used. However, while bamboo is excellent with respect to its strength-to-weight ratio, (a measure of how much pressure an object can withstand with respect to its weight), it does have some shortcomings which include being prone to catching to fire and rotting from overexposure to the elements. Given these drawbacks, with a creative insight into its remarkable properties, bamboo can, at the very least, be used as a substitute product or a supplement to building structures all over the world. The recognition and implementation of renewable products in the creation of such projects will help to make the world we live in healthier and more sustainable. To read more about bamboo structures in Indonesia, please check out http://phys.org/news/2012-06-bali-green-bamboo.html.

HOT TOPIC: Recycling Vehicles

In a time where it has become more important than ever to take care of the environment, two American companies have discovered a way for you to be rewarded for doing your part. TLS Auto Recycling has recently teamed up with Green Vehicle Disposal, America’s first and largest green car recycling program, to help customers get cash for their clunkers. The two have combined to create an ingenious way to properly dispose of your vehicles you no longer desire. So, if you have a car that has reached the end of its useful life, or you are planning on replacing an old car, consider doing the right thing with it.

As long as you leave your car with a proper green car disposal service you can rest assured that it would be handled in a responsible manner. The hazardous waste parts of the car will be properly disposed while the reusable recyclable material will be stripped from the car and, for lack of a better word, be ‘recycled’ for a greater use.

Not only are you being emotionally rewarding for doing your part for the environment, you are also being financially rewarded. By handing over your car, you will have the option to receive cash or to donate that cash to a charity of your choice. So, if you have a car that you no longer can get any use out of, bring it down and get some green, for going green.

 Check out this article:
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/g/a/2012/06/11/prweb9592193.DTL

A Healthy Home

The Wall Street Journal, known for its showcase of opulent and decadent homes, has featured a truly remarkable home in this Friday’s edition, which details the creation of a “Healthy Home” by one Minneapolis couple.  The idea for a truly clean energy emitting house occurred after homeowner Mrs. Greer was diagnosed with Stage 1 ovarian cancer. Filled with mold, the couple sought to replace their home with one that would eradicate the possibility of containing dangerous toxins that are common through the standardization of home building. Enlisting the help of Vail, Colorado., architect Jack Snow of RKD Architects, the Greers’  6,800-square-foot, five-bedroom, six-bathroom home has changed the paradigm of how houses may be built in the future.  Some of the green features of the home include, recycled countertops, large windows made from glass, which darkens when it heats up and subsequently helps to lower cooling costs in the summertime, and walls made from recycled wood fiber and concrete blocks, which cut down on the humidity inside of the home. 

This is not the first time the housing market and the green movement have collided. The steady growth of solar panel market has now becoming a mainstay in the design of modern homes with the intent of reducing energy costs. However the concept of a completely green house made from renewable materials is both innovative and inspiring. The Greers’ house is environmentally friendly, and truly a beacon of engineering prowess. Containing, “Curved stone and wood walls, custom artwork and dramatic copper accents,” the Greers’ house is avant-garde both aesthetically and for the green movement. For a closer look at the inspiring home, please follow the link.

Socially Responsible Sports

One might ask: Is it possible to have socially responsible sports?

One may reply: No.

But they won't if they are aware of initiatives sports teams around the nation have been carrying out in an attempt to alleviate their impacts on the environment, small doses at a time. In fact, just recently the Commissioner of MLB professional baseball, Bud Selig, spoke of the sport's responsibility to uphold social values and to combat social problems that its fans care about. 

Because of the social awareness of the MLB in particular, there are already several teams making changes to current operations around their stadiums, to reap the benefits of not only helping to improve their environmental impact, but to improve the impact that has on their wallets.  Such organizations have reduced costs while they have implemented programs like recycling efforts, which have proven successful enough to have reduced landfill waste by 200 million pounds per stadium, in some cases.  The Seattle Mariners have done so, and through their process of revamping operations a bit, they have also been able to achieve a rate of 80% recycling/composting of the total byproducts of their stadium operations, no small feat. 

In fact, 14 of 30 MLB teams have already voluntarily joined The Green Sports Alliance, an organization dedicated to "cleaning up" professional sports nationwide.  Basically, the organization's aim is to ever-improve the environmental performance of sporting facilities and their operations.  There are experts in environmental fields working right alongside experts in sporting management to come up with innovative improvements to current standards, which is a concept any green-minded individual will come to love. 

At the end of the day, you gotta love giant, powerhouse organizations changing ways to better our world, for today, and for the future generations. 

SDSU's Trending Programs

It was quite refreshing yesterday, to read of the impact that San Diego State University's College of Extended Studies is having in the way of its trending programs on Green industries.  SDSU's school offers online courses by which enrollees can successfully attain Professional Certificates in what the school describes as its "Green Energy Management and Residential and Commercial Sustainable Practices Online Certificate" programs.  There are courses dealing with Water Management and Landscape, Green Building Construction, Green Energy Management, and other general Sustainable Practices.

Not only is the effort extremely commendable because of its spearheading of a broader educational movement in green knowledge, but it is also impressive on the grounds that such Professional Certificates attained through the programs are actually leading to job opportunities in the ever-growing green industry.  This makes easy sense when you consider that three of the country's current fastest-growing industries are solar power, wind power, and environmental consulting.  To make a long story short, props to SDSU and its trending, ground-breaking green initiatives.

Environmental Overflow

The Chesapeake Bay has been the subject of pollution for a while now.  News reports, especially in the Maryland, Virginia, and Delaware states, are full of negative news pertaining to the Bay's diminishing wildlife and oxidation issues; typically being caused by pollution. This is a very interesting article that sheds light on a lesser known cause of pollution in the beloved Chesapeake Bay. The EPA, for some time now, has been probing the State of New York to address pollution that has been making its way into the bay.  New York, it seems, is balking on addressing the issue and has been mostly unresponsive.  

Take a look at the article:

http://www.delmarvanow.com/article/20120531/NEWS01/120531021/ENVIRONMENT-EPA-assesses-states-Chesapeake-restoration-plans-

Air-Cleaning Roof Tiles

Okay, so this story broke a few weeks ago, but we never got around to sharing it, which we felt absolutely needed to happen.  Now listen up because this is potentially groundbreaking...

Though we don't necessarily see many tile-based roofs on buildings around our immediate areas, many constructs in warmer climates tend to use the clay- and concrete-tile roofing alternatives.  Well now there is a special kind of roofing tile, and its manufacturer claims that it helps to clean our environment.  The tiles are supposedly smog-eating, since it is believed that their photocatalyst, titanium dioxide coating reacts with nitrogen oxides in the air, released by vehicle engines, for example.  How cool is that?  So the tiles' titanium oxide coating effectively absorbs the nitrogen oxides in the air, cleaning the air by converting the latter pollutant into harmless calcium nitrates.  Ground-breaking, wouldn't you say?  And the best part is that the calcium nitrates, formed by the roof tiles, are a common fertilizer that then simply gets washed down off the roof by natural rainfall.

Here's a short breakdown worth noting:

• For an average tile roof, this new technology adds only about $600-$1000 to the overall cost.
• These tiles on a 2,000 square foot house could oxidize, in a year's time, the equivalent of 10,000 miles traveled in a car.

These oxidizing roof tiles definitely do not track down and deal with correcting the source of air pollution problems, as skeptics correctly point out, however their effects on the pollution problem should not be needlessly overlooked as a result.  For more information, we implore you to visit Boral Roofing's website.  That is the company that has currently introduced these oxidizing tiles.

GADGET SPOTLIGHT: Portable, Solar-Powered Insect Killers

Now that spring is in full bloom (at least where we are), and summer is just around the corner, people begin to anticipate long, warm nights outdoors, be it for parties or just for leisurely rest.  Nothing can complement the perfect patio or deck area like a good insect repellant.  But why bother to use smelly sprays and candles? 

Don't.  There are several environmentally friendly solutions to the common bug problem.  Solar lanterns.  Granted, these lanterns will not work to save the planet, by any means, but they certainly do not hurt mother earth!  There are several types, all of which are growing in popularity, especially across the UK.  There are larger, ground-mounted devices, and then there are smaller, table-top devices.  We definitely recommend checking some of them out, as we are about to order for ourselves off Amazon.com.

Long live warm, beautiful [and bugless] summer nights...

Want to Go Green? There is an App for That!!

We did a little research into some smart phone applications that make "going green" easy. Here are some of the top ones that we found:

iRecycle- (Available on iOS) This free application makes recycling easier, in a sense.  Now, with iRecycle, people have access to over 1,000,000 ways to recycle various everyday materials.  The app also includes information on recycling locations, news regarding sustainability, and social sharing features.  This app is great if you are looking for a rather simple way to start making a shift towards becoming more energy efficient. (iRecycle currently has a    

Green Genie- (Available on iOS) This next app was voted #1 by Techcrunch.com and costs $0.99. However, despite the cost, through the information, tips, and resources that are available within this app, users have deemed it totally worth it.   Within the app you can expect to find news, green vocabulary, certified green products, links to various cost saving resources. Users also have the ability to share eco-friendly strategies with people from all over the world. (Green Genie currently has a 3 1/2 out of 5 star average based on 166 user ratings)

GoodGuide- (Available on iOS and Android) GoodGuide is the perfect application for ensuring that you are using products that are both healthy and eco-friendly. Users open GoodGuide and then use their mobile device to scan the barcodes of products.  GoodGuide allows you to set customized preferences about products and then pairs the items that you scan with those set preferences.  Also, GoodGuide features the social rankings of over 120,000 consumer products.  This allows consumers to see how the public has ranked certain products in terms of factors such as nutrition, animal rights, and environmental impact, to name a few.  (GoodGuide currently has a 4/5 start review based on 161 reviews)    

Tune in for more updates on eco-friendly apps that hit the marketplace!  

Companies Looking to Make a Difference, Look to Apple Inc.

Okay, so nowadays so many people look up to Apple Inc.  Apple is not only absolutely crushing it in the financial markets with their seemingly effortless climb in stock price, and in their overall products' technological advancements, but also with respect to environmental friendliness.

Most members of the general public would easily recognize Apple's success in the former two areas mentioned above, but what most don't recognize is the company's success in the latter area.  For instance, many don't realize Apple has included, since 2009, a completely awesome area of their site designated entirely to tracking their environmental footprint, with the intention to ever-improve their environmental friendliness by implementing new, greener procedures. 

From using less materials in their shipping all the way through to eliminating several harmful chemicals usually associated with consumer electronics, Apple Inc. is continually leading the way in the arena of technological, corporate firms' transitioning towards more green methods of production and distribution.  Their environmental footprint page is definitely worth checking out! Props, Apple!

How Much of Your Money is Going "Down the Crapper?"

Dear God, Why does it seem that I never have money to spare after paying the bills?


Well, could it be your bathroom fixtures? See, what most people don't realize is that there are several versions of sinks, tubs, showers, and most importantly, toilets, that all help to save not only the environment, but the owners' pockets. 

Manufacturers, these days more than ever, are pumping out super efficient models of such fixtures.  These can play major roles in lives of consumers everywhere.  WaterSense-labeled toilets, for instance, are not only rated to meet certain efficiency criteria, but also performance criteria, before they are labeled as such.  These are fantastic toilets to seek out if replacing your current porcelain throne.  With such models, a consumer can actually save about 4,000 gallons of water each year, which can result in considerable savings in water bills each year, usually around $90.  Not much, maybe, but I could think of a few things to spend that $90 bucks on, instead of a freaking water bill. 

And that savings is just on the toilet alone.  Imagine a bathroom fully furnished with fixtures the EPA (environmental protection agency) rates as being up to par with its standard of water-saving performance.  That could amount to well over $100 in savings each year.  You can find the seal on all bathroom fixtures, so check it out...

http://www.epa.gov/

Pacific Green Furniture

Keeping with the idea of home furnishings, we continued digging around the World Wide Web.  One of the coolest sites, and also one of the most unique sites, that we found was that for a company called Pacific Green.  This company has a really awesome backstory and an even more awesome collection of furniture for the home.  We must admit it is indeed a progressive taste, but the company has come a long way and has a great vibe to the work it continues to produce.  We definitely recommend taking a look at the beautifully interactive site...

Viesso, a.k.a. Awesome

Hey everyone, as promised, we come to you with yet another post.  (Woohoo! I know, two posts in two weeks... we're on a serious roll!)

On a serious note, we came across this awesome sight for a new-age, eco-friendly furniture and home furnishings label.  The name of the company is Viesso and they have a serious passion for keeping everything they make super sleek and as environmentally friendly as possible.  There is so much to learn in the way of new methods of producing Green furniture -- we were captivated for a while reading up on Viesso's products and philosophy.  We definitely recommend taking a look at their site and seriously considering their products for your next home improvement project.  (Our personal favorites were Viesso's cool twists on the conventional fire places.)  Check it out!

The Greenovation of Transportation

First of all we would like to apologize for the lapse in blogging.  We are adjusting to the transition into summer and have been bogged down with a million different things.  We are back now and you can count on consistent posts with some really cool stuff.

Secondly, check out the link.  This solar powered train is truly amazing and revolutionary in the eco-friendly industry.  The concept has been around for quite some time now but no particular organization and or country was previously willing to fund the costly venture.  Take a look!!

Coming Up in the World: U.S. Green Building Council

Hey everyone!  Wow, it has been entirely too long since our last post -- almost a month to date.  Nonetheless, we are presenting to you something truly great. 

It has taken a little bit of time for green programs to truly gain a head of steam, especially on a national or international scale, but as the world realizes how small differences everywhere can create massive improvements over time, we will continue to see more implementations of green initiatives worldwide. 

A true leader in the way of getting things done the green way is the United States Green Building Council.  The U.S. Green Building Council is all about their Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED®) programs and initiatives.  If this at all interests you, we would recommend checking out their Education services or perhaps even their National or Chapter Membership programs, which come with some worthwhile benefits. 


PMD United might even be attending their GREENBUILD International Conference and Expo in Toronto, Canada this coming October.  For dates and more information, check it out!